Tell Me That You Need Me
by Macgrrl
Summary: Alternate Season 5 from end of episode 1. Focus on Breyton friendship - into something more? Rating starts at K and may move up to M in time.


Disclaimers - I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters. I have just borrowed them for a little while and I'll put them back nicely the way Mark would like them when I'm done.

This is an AU story starting from Season 5. I have stolen the telephone and voice over from the end of the first episode and put some subtext behind it. This is my first attempt at a fan fiction and I would like to make it more than a one -shot but that is up to you guys and whether you want me to continue? It is primarily Breyton (friendship or more?) in nature so if that's not your kind of thing then stop reading and move on ...

**Tell Me That You Need Me**

--

Chapter One - New Beginnings

_Stop and stare_

_I think I'm moving but I go nowhere_

_Yeah I know that everyone gets scared_

_But I've become what I can't be, oh_

_Stop and stare_

_You start to wonder why you're 'here' not there_

_And you'd give anything to get what's fair_

_But fair ain't what you really need_

_Oh, can you see what I see?_

_One Republic - Stop & Stare_

Why now, what had made her finally pick up the phone and make that call? "Hi. It's Peyton. Yeah um, I, I'm sorry ... I know its late there, I just ..." What had changed today that had driven her to break the silence and call the one person that she had wanted to call for the last 18 months but had just never had the courage to do so?

"What happened to us? Ya know" The question came out stilted, shy almost as Peyton tried to make sense of her own confusion in why she had made the phone call. But the question she asked she could not even answer herself.

" I don't know who I am anymore, or how I got here" Peyton paced the floor of her apartment and kept talking, not giving the person at the other end of the phone a chance to respond. "I miss who I used to be. I want to go home again, ya know. I miss that." Taking a deep breath "I miss you"

The words were out before she realised just what she had said and it panicked her. What if I've said too much? I mean the words but I'm not sure how they will be taken. Peyton sat down on her sofa and curled her knees up to her chin. "I guess I miss all of it. Does any of that make any sense?" She added.

Halfway across the country Brooke Davis had just returned from yet another meaningless press event that she just **had **to attend, according to Victoria of course. Walking into her empty apartment had drained whatever little energy she had left. When her phone had rang she had been in two minds as to whether or not to answer it, sure that it would be Victoria checking up that she had indeed gone home alone. But the voice that came on the end of the phone lifted her heart and made her smile immediately.

"Yeah it makes all the sense in the world Peyton. Four years ago it all seemed so clear didn't it? Conquer the world, save the world, live happily ever after" The words came out slowly and Peyton picked up on a tiredness behind Brooke's words.

"Are you happy Brooke" she asked with concern.

Brooke walked across her apartment to the kitchen and opened a half-drunk bottle of wine, pouring herself a glass before answering her friend.

"Sometimes, Not always, you?"

"No" the word came out very fast as Peyton finally admitted to herself just how bad things were. There she was living what was supposed to be her dream but all she felt was empty and alone.

Even across the distance of thousands of miles Brooke picked up on the desperation in Peyton's voice and her heart broke for her friend. "Okay, let me ask you something. What is going to make you happy Peyton? Is it how you work, or the car that you drive, or the people you know? Is it money, or celebrity or power or accomplishments?"

Brookes voice started to break as she spoke the words that she had been too afraid to even say to herself these past few years " Because I have all those things and I don't think its enough"

Peyton was on her feet again pacing her apartment listening to her best friend and hearing the pain behind her words " Well then what is?" she asked.

"Love, I think" Brooke said simply.

--

As Brooke walked through the airport in Tree Hill the final words that she and Peyton had spoken went through her head and she found herself smiling in anticipation.

_"And that love can be for a boy or a girl or a place or a way of life or even for a family. But where you find it is up to you. So where are you going to find that love Peyton?"_

_"I think I need to go home"_

_"Yeah, I was hoping you'd say that"_

--

Arms wrapped tightly around each other they clung to one another for dear life. Tears started to fall silently as they allowed their emotions to show.

Peyton was the first one to speak but she left her face buried in Brooke's shoulder "I missed you Brooke Davis"

Brooke gently pulled back from Peyton and held her by the shoulders taking in the face of the friend she had not seen in over 3 years "I missed you P. Sawyer. We're home now. It's going to be okay"

Peyton grasped Brooke's hand in her own and they started to walk through the airport saying "Come on".

As the girls made their way to the taxi rank all either girl could think of was "I'm home"


End file.
